Tomatillo Chicken and Rice - Crock-Pot Cooking

The two winners of the Novica gift certificates have been chosen. Each of the 270 comments in the drawing received a sequential number at the time it was posted. The winners were chosen by a random number generator which selected the numbers 229 and 71. Congratulations to Aisling and Discovery Woman. I will be contacting you soon.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the perks of age is learning to cast away the things that aren't important. That helped this morning as I took a look around the house, assessed what I saw and declared an end to Christmas preparations. Basta! The day was crisp and clear and meant to be enjoyed. I grabbed my coat and headed out the door. I had a wonderful day. I accomplished nothing of importance but had an awfully good time doing nothing at all. I walked some along the river, lunched with a friend and relished the luxury of a midday nap. Dinner, too, was stressless. It was a crock-pot creation that turned out well enough to share with you. If you are looking for a quick holiday meal, I think you'll enjoy this simple dinner which has a Southwestern flair. If you'd like to make your own tomatillo salsa, a recipe can be found here. The recipe for the chicken appears below.

Tomatillo Chicken with Rice...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups tomatillo salsa
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-in. pieces
1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (15-oz.) hominy, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5-oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
3 cups cooked rice

Directions:
1) Mix all ingredients except cilantro in a 4 to 5-quart slow cooker.
2) Cover and cook on high 3 to 3-1/2 until chicken is cooked through.
3) Stir in cilantro; serve over rice with lime wedges. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja - The Perfect Pantry
Slow Cooker Mulligatawny - The Ungourmet
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches - Jane Deere
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - Never Enough Thyme
Slow Cooker Pork Chops - The Hungry Housewife
Crock-Pot Chili - Taste and Tell

Pickled Plums - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We won't see local berries for another year, but our farmer's markets still have abundant supplies of peaches, plums and pears. We've had lots of desserts lately, so I'm trying to find more savory ways in which to use the bounty. Bob found some beautiful chops at the pork store today, and while I was puzzling how I wanted to prepare them, I remembered an old recipe from Gourmet magazine. The recipe was for grilled chops that were served with pickled plums. I had a recollection of liking the plums well enough to serve them with all kinds of grilled meat. I have a tendency to love certain recipes to death. I make them so often I tire of them and they end up in the box that serves as my recipe graveyard. I suspected I'd find "my" plum pickle there. While it required some digging, I unearthed the recipe and within an hour had pickled plums to serve with our luscious pork chops. The recipe is very easy to do. If you have a small family, make a half portion of the pickle. Chances are pretty high that children won't touch them, so be forewarned and save yourself some grief. Most adults really like these. They should be served in the same way you would serve a salsa or chutney. If you are looking for something different to brighten your grilled meats, I think you'll really like this pickle. Here's the recipe.

Pickled Plums ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds assorted plums (about 10)
2 medium red onions
2 cups water
2 cups red-wine vinegar
2-1/4 cups sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1-1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Pit plums and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Cut onions into 3/4-inch pieces and transfer with plums to a 10-cup (2 1/2-quart) heatproof glass jar with a lid.
2) Place vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice,cloves and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Immediately pour over plums and onions.
3) Cool mixture, uncovered. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 6 hours. Pickled plums can be kept, refrigerated, for 1 week. Yield: 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Five Spice Plum Chutney - Vegalicious Recipes
Plum and Cherry Compote - Nami Nami
Pickled Plums and Onions - Pham Fatale
Pepper Pork with Chipotle Plum Sauce - Neo-Homesteading
Kabob Party: Easy Grilled Plums with Rosemary Balsamic Glaze - SippitySup
Beef Up Your Beef: Santa Rosa Plum and Mushroom Sauce - The Baking Barrister

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Strawberry Salsa

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had a lovely dinner last evening. Bob grilled steaks that had been rubbed with Southwestern-style seasonings and I garnished them with a strawberry salsa that was served in a small Haas avocado half. This salsa is one of my favorite summer condiments. The recipe for it appeared in Gourmet magazine over a decade ago and everyone who has tasted it really loves it. While it's a wonderful garnish, it is also great served in quantity with warm corn tortilla chips for scooping. This is one of those rare strawberry dishes that is better made with ripe but unmistakably firm berries. Field berries exude too much liquid and lack the firmness required to scoop the salsa from the bowl. While you won't hear me say it often, the berries in the supermarket are perfect for this dish. The salsa requires five ingredients and can be prepared in about 30 minutes. It can be made several hours before you plan to serve it, but the berries will begin to break down in they sit too much longer than that. I've kept the heat in the recipe at a moderate level, but if you like a fiery salsa simply add more chilies. Here's the recipe.

Strawberry Salsa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
2 fresh jalapeño chilies, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped strawberries
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
Combine chilies, strawberries, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix gently to combine. Salsa can be made several hours before serving and chilled. Yield: 3 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Watermelon, Black Bean and Corn Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Mango Salsa with Red Bell Pepper - Kalyn's Kitchen
Fresh Tomatilla Salsa - Pinch My Salt
Salsa Verde - Half Assed Kitchen
Pomegranate Salsa - Family Style Food

Red Pepper Relish

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The horror! Local berries of all sorts, have simultaneously appeared on the shelves of our farmer's markets and roadside stands. The berries are fully ripened and need immediate attention if their wonderful flavor is to be captured and preserved. I've pushed the raspberries and blueberries to the side for the time being, but I'm up to my elbows, literally, in flats of strawberries. My hands look like those of a surgeon in a trauma unit and words can't begin to describe the chaos that is currently my kitchen. I've been known to chuckle, sometimes discretely, at young managers who measured their own importance by the size of their staffs. I escaped that trap when I was working, but I've succumbed to ego in my kitchen. Forgive me, just this once, as I report my "body count." That would be 18 pints of freezer jam, 12 (1-gallon) bags of flash frozen berries, eight pints of raspberry syrup and five glorious desserts that I'll be sharing with you over the next few weeks. I was making strawberry salsa when I remembered this recipe that is based on one originally developed by Michael Symon. It is a sweet, deliciously spicy relish that can make eggs and sandwiches feel important. It's also great as an alternative topping for burgers or fish. For the record, the only thing it has in common with the strawberries is its glorious red color. I was thinking red today, and it made sense to make this before I restored order to the kitchen. Here's the recipe for a wonderful and uncommon relish. It will keep for a month in the refrigerator.

Red Pepper Relish ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Michael Symon

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced red onion or shallot
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
Kosher salt
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Add olive oil to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and warm until oil begins to shimmer. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add red peppers and jalapenos and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add corainder seeds and cook for 1 minute longer.
2) Add sugar and vinegar to pan and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add orange juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has completely reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also like these recipes:
Blueberry Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Watermelon, Black Bean and Corn Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Thai Cucumber Relish - One Perfect Bite
Corn Relish - SlashFood
Green Tomato Relish - Mommy's Kitchen
Mango, Red Pepper and Cilantro Salsa - Cook Sister
Mango Chutney - Ciao Chow Linda

Mexicali Pizza - Outdoor Wednesday

Mexicali Pizza before and after baking.



The first hellebores of the year are now in bloom.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I originally put this recipe together for my Texas grandsons. I wanted something that they could make by themselves for a quick lunch or light supper. We were so busy last summer that they never got to try them, but somewhere along the line the pizzas became a go-to recipe for our dinner on those nights when the clock winds down before the day has ended. They take 10 minutes to assemble and another 10 minutes to bake. Everything needed to make them can be found in most pantries. I've deliberately kept them meat free, and will leave any additional toppings to your imagination. You can also use low-fat refried beans without changing the nature of the "pies". While I make them with flour tortillas, there's no reason a pizza crust can't be used. We like a little heat with our meals, so I use a spicy salsa and Pepper Jack cheese. If you prefer your food less spicy, use a mild salsa and a bag of pre-shredded Mexican cheese. Toppings can include olives, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro. I've tried to keep this a recipe a canvas that you can paint as you choose. I think you'll like this. Here's the recipe.

Mexicali Pizza...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 8-inch flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 can (16-oz.) traditional Mexican refried beans
1 cup medium thick and chunky salsa
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or a mix of shredded Colby and Pepper Jack cheese
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or other toppings of your choice

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Warm refried beans in a microwavable bowl for 1 minute on High power. Carefully spread beans over tortillas. Top with salsa and cheese. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese melted.. Sprinkle with toppins of your choice while the pizzas are warm. Carefully move to serving plates. Yield: 2 small pies.

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Blueberry Salsa and Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

This is an unplanned post, but yesterday's barbecue produced some nice surprises. I was experimenting with a mop sauce and salsa to go with grilled lamb. I wanted something a little out of the ordinary and I had blueberries that were rapidly aging and would soon be fit only for the compost pile. The prime directive of old cooks is use it or lose it, so it was only natural to work with the berries. Thirty minutes later I had another variation of sauce and salsa for summer barbecues. Not only did they work, they worked well. So, I have a couple of more recipes for you. I hope you'll try these afterthoughts. They're PDG.

Blueberry Salsa
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups blueberries, stemmed and washed
1 large Bartlet pear, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely mined
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Coarsely chop 1 cup blueberries ( food processor may be used). Combine chopped blueberries, 1/2 cup whole blueberries, pear, onion, bell pepper, Jalapeno, lime juice, honey, oregano, garlic salt and cilantro in a small bowl. Serve shilled or at room temperatur. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.



Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tomato catsup
1/4 cup blueberry sauce or melted blueberry jelly
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine catsup, sauce, vinegar, worcestershire, sriracha, liquid smoke and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 3/4 cup sauce.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

Isn't this pretty? I've always found it hard to come up with vegetables to serve with with Mexican food. I'm not fond of the colors or tastes of the usual suspects, but the sparkling colors and piquant flavor of this salsa have solved the problem. If you're tired of gray vegetables and tinned tomatoes I hope you'll try this. It will give a real lift to your palate. While I serve the salsa in tortilla bowls, that really isn't necessary - it does, however, add pizzazz to the presentation. If you plan to serve the salsa with chips I suggest you cut the ingredients in smaller pieces than that recommended in the recipe. I use pickled jalapeno peppers to insure a constant amount of heat. There are times when the jalapenos in the market are as sweet as bell peppers and that just won't do in this recipe. I know you're going to like this one!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large) peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon water
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped and drained jalapeno peppers from a jar
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained and patted dry
Juice of 3 large limes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Leaf lettuce
Tortilla bowls

Directions:
1) Place cubed sweet potatoes in a large (5-quart) microwavable bowl with a lid. Add 1 tablespoon water to bowl, cover, and microwave on HIGH power for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Potatoes must be tender but still retain their shape. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and allow to dry for 5 minutes.
2) Place sweet potatoes, red, green and yellow peppers, onion, chopped jalapeno peppers, black beans, lime juice and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour to chill ingredients.
3) Line tortilla bowls with lettuce leaves. Spoon salsa into bowl. Yield 4 to 6 servings.

This is my entry for the February Potato Ho Down event sponsored and hosted this month by Cathy who blogs at Noble Pig.